Yieldable detachable fastener



Feb. 23, 1960 c. TROVATO 2,925,672

YIELDABLE DETACHABLE FASTENER Filed Dec. 13, 1955 INVENTOR CHARLES TROl/A T0 BY W/W' ATTORNEY tes This invention relates to securing means and is particularly concerned with such devices as belts, straps, webs and like fiexible connecting elements. While certain aspects of the inventive concept are broadly applicable in the securement of a wide variety of objects, the preferred application is here presented in relation to wearing apparel and provides a novel and improved yieldable connection.

Both flexible and yieldable belts, straps, supporters and bands have long been commonly employed in the garment industry and in accessory apparel, such as shoes, boots, luggage and the like. One of the outstanding shortcomings of such devices as heretofore provided, is the fact that the stretchable or resilient element is of far shorter useful life than that of the associated materials, such as.

cloth or leather. Rubber or some equivalent synthetic product, usually constitutes in part or in whole, the resilient element. Not only do such elements suifer more speedily from wear and abrasion, but they frequently tear or break and are severely attacked by washing and cleaning processes. Furthermore, the elasticity of such materials deteriorates with time and must be replaced or the garment discarded.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a readily replaceable resilient element for a strap, belt or similar securing means, particularly for such devices as form an integral part of wearing apparel or its accessories.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for devices of the character set forth, a replaceable resilient insert which may be removed and discarded when utility is lost and which may be replaced without discarding or replacing the entire securing means.

Another object is to provide in a securing means for a readily detachable inter-connection between a resilient element and an associated leather or fabric part.

It is also among the objects of the invention to provide a belt, strap or web securing means including both yieldable and non-yieldable portions with detachable inter-connections therebetween, by which the resilient means may be removed and replaced without discarding the entire belt, strap or web.

Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a shoe embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the securing end of the strap of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the readily detachable inter-connecting means for the resilient element of the strap of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 4 illustrates the invention as applied to the waist band of a pair of trousers.

The present invention may be carried out in a wide variety of structural embodiments, however, for the present purpose of illustration, only two forms of the inven- 2325,52? Patented Feb. 23, i dfl tion are illustrated. In the first form of the invention, the device is shown as applied as a flexible and resilient strap for a shoe. Each end of the strap may be releasably secured to opposed edges of the top of the shoe upper. The strap for this purpose is here shown as having a leather end portion constituting a perforate tongue adapted to be secured in a conventional buckle attached to one edge of the upper and an opposite flexible and resilient end releasable and securable to the opposite upper edge by a bail and stud connection. This arrangement provides for the ready disconnection of the strap for discard and replacement when worn or damaged. In the second form of the invention, the strap is applied as a securing means for the front flap of a pair of trousers. In this form of the invention, the resilient element is mounted between flexible, but non-elastic strap portions, the inter-connecting means being of quick detachable loop construction as in Fig. 3, there being one such loop at each end of the resilient element to permit the element to be readily detached for discard and to be replaced.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the shoe is indicated in Fig. 1 by the letter S and is of generally conventional form, including the spaced front edges 10 of the upper. The lower portion of the front confronting edges of the upper overlying tongue 11 may be joined by lacings 12. if desired, for yieldable conformity with the strap of the present invention, the lacings 12 may be of rubber or of equivalent stretchable resilient material.

Above the lacings 12, at the top portion of the front edges of the upper, there is provided at one side, a conventional buckle 14, while at the opposite edge, there is mounted a stud 15, the outwardly projecting headed end 16 of which may be covered by a leather flap 17.

The strap of the present invention for yieldably interconnecting the top front edges iii) of the upper over the shoe tongue 11, includes a tongue end portion 20 of leather, fabric or like flexible, but non-elastic material. The portion 26 is formed with apertures 21 for receiving the keeper 22 of the buckle 14. By this arrangement, it will be seen that the strap may be secured and released with respect to the buckle edge of the upper in the con ventional manner. The opposite end of the strap is formed of rubber, elastic webbing or any equivalent resilient material 30, stitched to the tongue 29 as at 31. In the present form of the invention, this resilient element 30 is formed as a continuous loop. At the outer end there is secured a bail 23, the bite of which is receivable over the head l6 of the stud 15 under the flap 17. For convenience, in manipulation, a pull cord 34 may be attached to the bail 23 as shown.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that-with the ele' ment 30 of the strap normally engaged by the stud 15, the strap may be buckled and unbuckled at will to provide for the resilient inter-engagement between the confronting edges of the upper. When the element 30 wears, loses its resiliency or breaks, it may be readily disengaged from the stud and the tongue 26) unbuckled to be discarded and a replacement applied promptly without requiring repairs as by Way of stitching.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated the application of the present invention as a strap for the closure of the flap of a pair of pants or as a belt for the same. in this figure, the pants generally are indicated by the letter P, while the opposed flap edges are designated 5t} and 51. In this form of the invention, the flexible elastic loop element is shown at 52 as located between two non-elastic flexible portions 53 and 5d. The portion 53 is shown as stitched to the band of the pants, while the opposite portion 54 is formed as a belt tongue apertured as at 55, to receive the tongue 56 of the buckle 57. In this case, both ends of the intermediate resilient element are secured to the respective non-resilient portions by quick detachable 3 loops, as shown in Fig. 3, such loops being indicated by the numerals 58. Thus, it will be seen that upon failure of the resilient element, it may be readily separated from both of the non-elastic portions and a new element may be quickly installed.

While the quick detachable means itself may be of various types, the preferred quick detachable means comprises a loop 49, best shown in Pig. 3. The closed flight 41 of the loop 40 is here shown as mounted in the bight of the portion 52. The opposite open ends 42 of the loop are received Within the hem of the resilient element 53. For precluding inadvertent dislodgement of the loop, there is mounted between the ends a tubular gap closure or sleeve 43 within which is seated a coil spring 44, one end of which bears against the upper inturned flange 45 of the closure, while the opposite end bears against a head 46 formed on the lower loop end. By this arrangement, it will be seen that the closure, while normally extending between the loop ends, may be depressed against the tension of its spring 44 to open the gap between the ends and thus permit the bight hem of the element 52 to be disengaged.

From the foregoing it will be seen, that the present invention not only provides a novel and improved strap for various uses, the strap embodying a readily detachable and replaceable resilient element, but the invention provides a novel waist band securing structure and an improved shoe wherein the opposed edges of the upper are resiliently retained in yieldable manner by a strap, the resilient element of which is readily replaceable. It will, of course, be understood that the invention is not limited or restricted to the exact structural details here shown by way of illustration, but that in the practice of the invention, numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to without departure from the spirit or scape of the invention as outlined in the appended claim.

This application relates to subject matter disclosed in my abandoned application Serial No. 116,121, filed September 16, 1949, entitled Fastening Device.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a shoe having a tongue and an upper, a buckle secured to said upper at one side of said tongue, a stud secured to said upper at the opposite side of said tongue, a replaceable elastic device for securing the upper over said tongue, said device comprising a strap of elastic material, a non-elastic tapered tab secured to one end of said strap for engaging and adjustably attaching said strap to said buckle and a bail secured to the opposite end of said strap for attaching the same to said stud, and a flap secured to said upper and overlying said stud, said flap having an aperture for receiving said stud to prevent inadvertent removal of said bail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 49,415 Joyce Aug. 15, 1865 53,483 Preble Mar. 27, 1866 170,109 Porter Nov. 16, 1875 205,571 Northrup July 2, 1878 355,265 Hayes Dec. 28, 1886 370,783 Hastings et al. Oct. 4, 1887 545,702 Levy Sept. 3, 1895 583,564 Benford June 1, 1897 1,588,533- Elzey June 15, 1926 1,678,241 Benz July 24, 1928 1,973,646 Mix Sept. 11, 1934 2,640,635 Sobel May 12, 1936 2,094,210 Graben 'Sept. 28, 1937 2,619,744 Mattes Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS France Aug. 20, 1910 

